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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28907049">Intolerance</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/alesca_munroe/pseuds/alesca_munroe'>alesca_munroe</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Barrow's Coffee Shop AU [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Unseen - Long Story Short Productions (Podcast)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Drama, Gen, Homophobia, Hopeful Ending, Swearing</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 11:01:23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,035</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28907049</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/alesca_munroe/pseuds/alesca_munroe</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“What if your professor isn’t out at work and that’s why there’s no forward movement going on here?”</p><p>Throwaway line from the main fic sprouted this "what if" scenario.  Au for the au.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Pre Anthony Greerson/Edmond LaValle</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Barrow's Coffee Shop AU [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2120031</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Intolerance</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Steven comes into the coffee shop in the empty hour before they close up for the night. Harry's greeting dies in her throat at his expression. "What happened?" she demands and comes around the counter to catch his arm and help him get settled in one of the armchairs. "Steven, you look like you saw a ghost; do I need to call one of the LaValle twins?"</p><p>"No, I'm fine. It's… God, it didn't even happen to <em>me</em>. It's just. You remember when Olive was asking if we even knew if Professor Greerson was gay?" Harry nods. "So, today, I was walking with him to class today - nothing to do with Edmond, sorry - and we went into the lecture hall. And his- the board was just <em>covered</em> in slurs. Every homophobic term you've ever heard in your life."</p><p>"Oh <em>hell no</em>," Taylor says, coming over just in time to hear that. She pulls out her phone. "I'm calling Olive, we're going to bash some heads together. Who did that?"</p><p>"We have no idea." Steven shakes his head. "The worst thing was Professor Greerson's face. You remember being in the closet, being so afraid someone was going to find out before you were ready to <em>be</em> out? He looked like someone had just dragged him out of the closet in front of God and country.</p><p>"And then. He just got a little smile on his face and said, real quiet, 'it's just like high school all over again.'" Steven shakes his head. He cancelled his classes, I skipped mine, and we spent hours trying to get that bullshit off the board. Hours."</p><p>"That's unreal," Harry breathes, horrified. She's never been in the closet, her mom has always been supportive. But she knows it wasn't so easy for other people. "I didn't think people here were <em>like</em> that."</p><p>"I didn't think they were either! Fuck, Harry, this coffee shop is like the alcohol-free version of a gay bar most days of the week. I was <em>relieved</em> when Edmond brought me here and I could wear my eyeliner without someone telling me I was going to hell. The part where this happened and to <em>Greerson</em>? No one deserves that."</p><p>"What happened?" </p><p>All three of them look up and Detective LaValle is standing in the doorway. He looks concerned and asks again, "Steven? What happened?"</p><p>Steven hunches down in the chair. "Someone wrote a bunch of anti-gay bullshit all over Professor Greerson's whiteboard. It uh. It hit him hard, but when I asked if he was going to go to the dean about it, he shook his head and said it wasn't important."</p><p>Detective LaValle's expression goes flat and hard. Harry rarely sees him as anything other than cheerful and the change is… alarming. "I see. Do you want me to drive you back to Addison's? I can't stay for dinner unfortunately; there's work I need to do at the office."</p><p>Steven accepts the offer and then Harry and Taylor are left alone in the shop. Harry goes behind the counter again. "Tea. I need tea. I can't- of <em>course</em> it's important! No one deserves to be attacked like that, especially at work!"</p><p>Taylor touches Harry's arm and pulls her in for a hug.  Harry hangs on tightly.  "Don't you worry. Detective LaValle will get whoever did that. If Olive and I don't find them first."</p><p>---</p><p>Anthony hears the knock on his office door and considers not answering. It's late, he's had a hell of a day, and whatever kind of permanent marker went on his board, it was harder to clean than any other time he's accidentally used a sharpie on it. He's not in the mood for human interaction.</p><p>So of course he opens the door. "Detective LaValle," Anthony says, dumbfounded. "Is something wrong?"</p><p>Because the detective isn't smiling, doesn't have that twinkle in his eye that means he has a riddle or a story ready to tell Anthony. He looks angry and worried and- Anthony's stomach drops. "Is it- did something happen to Steven?"</p><p>Detective LaValle starts. "No," he replies, a little of the intensity leaving his expression. "Not as such, I just dropped him off at Addison's. He told me what happened today."</p><p>Anthony groans, pinches the bridge of his nose. "It's fine, detective. I'm fine. It was just a shock."</p><p>"It's not fine, professor, that actually counts as a hate crime, and I know for a fact that this school has a zero tolerance policy."</p><p>Anthony glares at the detective. "Yes, I know, and I'm not about to let some dumb kid get thrown out of school just because my feelings were hurt. It doesn't-"</p><p>"Don't tell me it doesn't matter."</p><p>"I've dealt with worse." High school. The armed forces. At least he can't lose his job here for someone outing him. "You get… numb to it."</p><p>"You shouldn't <em>have</em> to."</p><p>The detective looks so genuinely upset on Anthony's behalf. Anthony can't help but reach out and rest a hand on his arm. "Thank you, detective. For thinking of me."</p><p>"It's Edmond," the detective- <em>Edmond</em> corrects wryly. He covers Anthony's hand with his own. "Look. If anything happens, or if you just want to talk about it. You're not alone. You don't have to face this by yourself."</p><p>"And if I just want to talk?" Anthony will not turn red. He won't. He's a fucking adult. He didn't mean to say that, to flirt with someone who is just here to make sure he's okay, but now it's out there and he doesn't know if he can fix this. "I mean. Like friends. I'm not… hitting on you, I swear."</p><p>Edmond smiles. "Then we can talk, professor. Whenever you like."</p><p>"Call me Anthony. It's only fair."</p><p>"Anthony," Edmond says slowly, like he's testing out the feel of it in his mouth. If Anthony wasn't red before, he is now. Just please someone end him already. Edmond smiles again, a little softer. "I can do that."</p><p>---</p><p>Olive and Taylor are suspiciously quiet a few days later when every other college student in town is talking about a terrible prank involving two frat boys, a closet, and three pissed off geese. Harry chooses not to ask.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Note: in the US military, it's totally okay now to be queer.  Anthony just happened to be in when it wasn't okay.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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